§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many sites of special scientific interest lie wholly or partly on water authority land; and if he will list the sites of special scientific interest and the water authorities concerned;
526W(2) how many sites of scientific interest lie wholly or partly on water authority land;
(3) if he will list the sites of scientific interest which are wholly or partly owned by the Yorkshire water authority;
(4) how many sites of special scientific interest are wholly or partly owned or administered by British statutory water companies; and if he will list these sites of special scientific interest and the water companies concerned;
(5) how many sites of scientific interest are wholly or partly owned or administered by British statutory water companies; and if he will list those sites of scientific interest and the water companies concerned.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information about sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) is currently being assembled by the Nature Conservancy Council. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
I understand that the term "sites of scientific interest" refers to non-statutory designated sites and was used mainly by the former county councils of West and South Yorkshire in the context of development plans. The information about such sites may be available from the appropriate successor local authority. It can not be provided by the Department except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of(a) statutory public footpaths, (b) statutory public bridleways and (c) permissive footpaths lie within British statutory water companies' land holdings; and if he will list the mileage for each company in each category.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThis detailed information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.